We, the church leaders and church staff, continue to pray that everyone is staying safe, well and healthy. This is my weekly reminder to everyone that we will once again be having our Sunday morning worship via livestream on our Facebook page on April 26 at 10:30 am at Facebook - CalvaryElko. Plan to worship with us as a family (again, within your own household) and remember: you DON'T need to have a FB account in order to watch the livestream. NEW! - On Sunday at 7 pm, we will offer another hosted worship experience with chat on Calvary Elko Church Online. That's two opportunities to gather for worship online this Sunday - 10:30 am on Facebook Live and 7 pm on Calvary Elko Church Online. Prior to Sunday, I again encourage all of you to invite others to worship with you online, or to share our YouTube channel with them anytime afterward at YouTube - CBC Elko. We also continue to have online worship experiences every even-numbered hour (PST) on Church Online starting at 10 pm (PST) Sunday.

Also on our FB page, you'll find Kids Connection Bible Lessons for children, as well as my nightly Fireside Chats, which I continue to pray will give you encouragement during these difficult days (posted by 7 pm each evening).

There is information located on our livestream Facebook - CalvaryElko posts concerning how to continue to give regularly to the work of Calvary. I encourage you to remain faithful in your giving to God through our church. Remember: giving of our tithes and offerings to God is an essential part of worship. You can give via online, through bill-pay or by mail (our mailing address is located near the very bottom of this eNewsletter).

Lastly, although the church offices and buildings remain closed until further notice, continuing to stay connected to our church family and friends is important to us, If you should need to contact us, please call the church office at 775-738-6840 and leave us a voicemail, along with your phone number, and we will return your call within 24 hours.

Please stay safe, well and healthy. We're praying for all of you always,

Like many of you and your family, COVID-19 has drastically impacted our church family. Because of that, we are doing church differently. While we are not meeting in our church building for worship, we are still worshipping together as a church family. Every week, a weekly worship service takes place at 10:30 am on Facebook - CalvaryElko. In addition, the worship service can be experienced every even-numbered hour on Calvary Elko Church Online during the week. We will continue to worship this way for the next few weeks until this crisis is over. Check in here for an announcement concerning our return to live worship services in our building.

In addition to the online weekly worship, we are offering Kids Connection Bible Lessons for children online as well and you can find those on our Facebook - CalvaryElko page, as well. Also, every evening I will continue to post a short word of encouragement called Fireside Chat. This devotional thought is posted on the church Facebook page by 7:00 pm each evening. I hope you will check this out.

In the meantime, we are still here to minister to the needs of our community. You may reach us by emailing the Church Office and someone will get back with you as soon as possible. Be assured that we are praying for you and our community during these days.

Who would have thought that I would be writing you a note like this one! The Coronavirus has escalated to what is being called a worldwide pandemic. Every day we hear more and more news about this rapidly spreading disease. As a church family, we are impacted by this as we go forward in the days ahead. But, as someone said, “Do not live or minister in fear, but don’t be dumb!” That is the approach we want to take - we will not fear the virus, but we will not be dumb.

Here are the precautions we are taking so far:

1. We will have hand sanitizer available throughout the building. We have restocked all of the soap in our bathrooms. Please wash your hands frequently (at least for 20 seconds).

2. We are wiping down door knobs.

3. Our cleaning crew will give extra attention to wiping down our building with sanitary wipes.

4. We are suspending coffee and hot drinks on Sunday mornings for the time being.

5. We are asking our children’s area workers to do a thorough wipe down before and after Sunday.

6. All children will be asked to wash their hands as they arrive and before they leave classes.

7. We are asking that we do not shake hands or hug until this crisis is over. An elbow bump is perfectly fine!

8. If you feel ill, we ask that you do not attend worship. As you are aware, you can watch the service during the following week on CalvaryElkoChurchOnline

9. If you are not able to attend, we encourage you to continue your giving to the church through our church giving link - CalvaryElkoOnlineGiving

The history of the Christian church points to the fact that this is not the first time that the Christian church has faced these types of pandemics. Read these words from the early church father Eusebius concerning a pandemic that hit the Roman Empire. The response of the Christians was, ‘they alone in such a catastrophic state of affairs gave practical evidence of their sympathy and philanthropy by works. All day long some of them would diligently persevere in performing the last offices for the dying and burying them (for there were countless numbers, and no one to look after them). While others [ie. Christians] gathered together in a single assemblage all who were afflicted by famine throughout the whole city, and would distribute bread to them all. When this became known, people glorified the God of the Christians, and, convinced by the deeds themselves, confessed the Christians alone were truly pious and God-fearing.’

It is quite significant that one of the most-often-repeated phrases in the Bible is “fear not.” As Christians, we have not been given the spirit of fear, but of power and love and a sound mind. That is the approach we are taking. We will not fear, but we will not be dumb either. We will continue to love each other. We will continue to serve each other. We will continue to love our community, and the ends of the earth. As more measures are needed, we will be in contact with our church family.